Osun pensioners barricade government secretariat, demand for entitlements

Hundreds of pensioners in Osun on Wednesday barricaded the entrance of Government Secretariat, located at Abeere, to demand for their pensions and other benefits.
The pensioners, under the auspices of Forum of 2011/12 Retired Public Servants of Osun flayed the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for what they termed” lackadaisical approach,” towards their plights, which has resulted to untimely death of many of their members.

The Chairman of the forum, Mr Omoniyi Ilesanmi, while fielding questions from journalists said the protest became imperative as the state acknowledged the receipt of the second tranche of the Paris Club reductions.
He stressed that the protest was originally planned to put the government on its toes and ultimately prevent any form of diversion.
Ilesanmi explained that his members were disappointed in the way the first tranche of the funds were spent, hence the need to monitor the second tranche with utmost vigilance.

DAILY POST reports that the state government, through the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr Semiu Okanlawon on Tuesday announced the receipt of N6.31bn as the second tranche of the Paris Club refund.

Okanlawon added that the announcement was in line with the government’s efforts to be transparent and open in its financial dealings. The claim, which has been faulted by many in the state.
Comrade Adeola Alebiosu, who is a public analyst in the state in an interview with our reporter said the prompt announcement of the funds by Osun State Government was a fallout of earlier announcement made by Governor Fayose of Ekiti State, and statement from the Ministry of Finance detailing the distribution of the disbursement.

He argued that the government in the state is not known for transparency and accountability.
“The statement made by Mr Okanlawon is laughable, it is deceptive as it is fallacious.
“When has the government of Osun become so transparent to have come out to announce the receipt of such funds, it is obvious that they were compelled to make the disclosure when the details of the disbursement is already at the public glare, obviously that is not their way,” Alebiosu said.